DS7 has been homeschooling a year. He's currently working at about a 5th/6th+ level across the board (with the exception of writing, which is probably 2nd/3rd grade). Most other subjects are fine, there are so many ways to go deep in history, science and language arts. But, math is completely confounding me, it seems very linear and once you finish a level you have to move on to the next level.
He's not the kind to self-teach, but when he encounters something new he looks at it and then he projects the concept forward to the end. We've been working on fractions using Life of Fred. At one point, the book explains that fractions just means divide. DS read it and then set out to convert his fractions to decimals. The book meant that fractions represent splitting x number of things, x number of ways- not actual division (he understood both ways). The whole next book is for decimals and we're only half way through the fractions one. He did the same thing with Singapore Math when we started last year, he saw how to add and subtract single numbers, made up his own multi-digit problems, had me work through them with him and in the span of 20 minutes was adding and subtracting with carrying any numbers he wanted.
He sucks up everything that I throw at him. He doesn't particularly enjoy math, it's not something he pursues on his own beyond logic type problems he creates for himself. I'm just not sure that a kid who doesn't *love* math needs to be balancing equations or doing geometry proofs at 7.
But, then my OCD-tendency kicks in and I think "But we *have* to do math. We can't just *not* do math."
We already do lots of real-life math problems, having DS help me mentally compare prices per unit in the grocery store, convert measuring units for cooking. We practice evenly splitting snacks between himself, DS5 and DD2.5 or figuring distances from here to there by converting units. He is great at reading word problems and figuring out what it's asking for and what information is important.
I've heard people mention studying things like geometry to slow the kid down a bit, but I'm not sure how that works. I took geometry in 9th grade after Algebra 1 and it was a lead in to Algebra 2 and Trig/Analytical Geometry. Is there some other way to study it that I'm missing?
So, am I doing something wrong? I just don't understand how in a year he's finished elementary school math. Is there something else we can pursue that will be interesting and useful but not necessarily advancing him forward linearly?
Any insight or ideas would be great! Thanks!
Kimberly
